WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1738/97 by Gisèle MOREAU to the Commission. Economic and social implications of the ban on the use of asbestos
Date: 1997-05-23
Institutions: European Parliament, MOREAU GISELE
Subjects: asbestos, dangerous substance, dismissal, industrial conversion, marketing restriction, occupational health, processing industry, public health, substitute product













EUR-Lex - 91997E1738 - EN






Avis juridique important




|



91997E1738

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1738/97 by Gisèle MOREAU to the Commission. Economic and social implications of the ban on the use of asbestos  


Official Journal C 021 , 22/01/1998 P. 0089 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-1738/97 by Gisèle Moreau (GUE/NGL) to the Commission (23 May 1997)Subject: Economic and social implications of the ban on the use of asbestosThe European Community has introduced a policy of end-use control applicable to the marketing of products containing asbestos. Certain Member States - including France since 1 January 1997 - have decided to impose a total ban on the production, import and marketing of products containing asbestos. While this decision is justified in terms of safety and health at work and public health, it is being used as a pretext by companies such as Eternit to lay off workers and close down plant. In many cases the same companies had previously refused to carry out reconversions, disputing the risks associated with asbestos. What measures will the Commission take with a view to:- achieving a total ban on the production, import and marketing of products containing asbestos,- promoting research and production of alternative products which are totally risk-free in terms of safety and health at work and public health in general,- encouraging the reconversion of industrial plant towards asbestos-fire products in order to avoid loss of jobs?Answer given by Mr Bangemann on behalf of the Commission (10 July 1997)The Commission recalls that the Community has operated a policy of controlled use on the marketing of asbestos-containing products since the mid-1980's. Accordingly, all but one of the asbestos fibres are totally banned and fourteen categories of products containing the last remaining fibre, known as chrysotile, are also banned. Other product categories containing chrysotile fall outside the scope of Community harmonisation and should be allowed to circulate freely provided they are properly labelled and subject to Articles 30 and 36 of the EC Treaty.The Commission relaunched discussions on the asbestos question with Member State experts in 1996. Meetings were held on 26 July 1996 and 7 November 1996. A further meeting is planned during July 1997 to consider the first results of an independent study on asbestos and substitute fibres. The Commission intends to examine, as quickly as possible, all the most recent scientific, technical and economical analyses in order to review policy with regard to asbestos.With regard to possible substitution products, the Commission is expected to adopt danger classifications in the framework of Directive 67/548/EEC on the classification packaging and labelling of dangerous substances ((OJ 196, 16.8.1967. )) in the near future for certain man-made mineral fibres. In addition, these and other fibres, notably cellulose, polyvinyl alcohol and aramid, are being examined in terms of their potential to substitute asbestos as part of the above-mentioned study.